Marsha Blackburn leads Tennessee GOP primary for governor
What's next: The winner is favored in November in a state where Democrats have not won a governor's race in 20 years.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn entered Tennessee's Republican primary for governor as the leading candidate to succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Lee, setting up one of the state's marquee 2026 contests. Blackburn, a two-term senator and former longtime House member, faced Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts in Thursday's GOP race. President Donald Trump stayed neutral, though he said earlier this year he had urged Blackburn to remain in the Senate. Blackburn tied her campaign to Trump's agenda, arguing she was ready to push more power to the states. On the Democratic side, five candidates competed for the nomination, including Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green.